Chief White House correspondent and ABC News reporter, Martha Raddatz is the winner of the third annual Urbino Press Award. The announcement was made by Sebastiano Cardi, Minister of the Italian Embassy, at a ceremony held at the Embassy.
Raddatz, who will receive the award in Urbino in late May, is at the center of U.S. media attention for her accessibility to sources and her exhaustive reporting of the war in Iraq.

“I am very honored to accept this award,” she said. “It was a big surprise for me and I am very enthusiastic, especially because Michael Weisskopf received the same recognition in 2007 and Diane Rehm in 2006.”

Raddatz added: “The organizers of the Urbino Press Award should be proud: they recognize the value of journalism, something that many people don’t appreciate. The world of reporting has changed,” she concluded, “but I remain faithful to the principles of journalism.”

(Giovanni Lani, President Urbino Press Awards,
and General Peter Chiarelli)

Among the numerous guests was Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the nominee to replace Gen. Petraeus in Iraq.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, a video was shown discussing the city of Urbino and explaining the origins of the Urbino Press Award. A buffet reception followed, featuring specialties from Le Marche, such as truffles, wines and cheeses. Guests were entertained with Italian music.